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Melinda and Melinda

"Melinda and Melinda," written and directed by Woody Allen, is a film about the ability of the mind to perceive different situations. The film opens in a café, with four people discussing life. An argument is made which begs the question of whether life is a tragedy or a comedy. These people then each present their own tale of the fictional character Melinda, her trials and tribulations, while presenting her in either a tragic or comic light.

Thus the two stories begin, overlapping with themes, but different in their elements of tragedy and comedy. In the tragedy of Melinda, (Radha Mitchell), the woman is bored with life and has left her husband. Her husband had taken the children from her and she feels she has no other purpose in life. Her attempted suicide puts her into a hospital where she must fight her depression and look for new meaning in life. In the comedy of Melinda, the woman is a neighbor to Indie filmmaker, Susan (Amanda Peet) and under-employed actor, Hobie (Will Ferrell). This story revolves around Melinda’s experiences with them and the romantic feelings that surface through Hobie’s interaction with her. While Melinda’s tragedy captivates the audience and brings them to tears with feelings of sorrow and sympathy for her, Melinda’s comedy entertains the audience and brings them to tears of laughter, and of hope for a relationship with Hobie. Though both stories invoke different emotions in us, we find that they both have elements of tragedy and comedy. At the end of Melinda’s tragedy, we realize that there is still hope for her. Throughout Melinda’s comedy, we worry that some problem will delay the union of the two lovers in the end.

The overall theme to the film "Melinda and Melinda," which presents itself throughout the movie, is that life is neither a set comedy nor tragedy, for there are elements of each throughout it. Our minds have the power to absorb a situation as depressing or humorous and just because a situation is tragic now does not mean that it will stay that way. As life goes on, different opportunities present themselves, and different lives can be built on them. We ultimately have the decision to make our own lives into a tragedy, comedy, or both.

Written by: Amy Hillard

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